One Night with Janis Joplin at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

With a voice like whiskey and a laugh like pure joy, Janis Joplin took the music scene by storm. Simultaneously rough and vulnerable, Joplin was dubbed the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll, proving music wasn’t just a man’s world anymore. Packed with classic songs (“Piece of My Heart,” “Summertime,” “Mercedes Benz”), the show also shines the spotlight on trailblazers who influenced Janis—like Bessie Smith, Etta James and Aretha Franklin. Now, in a musical event featuring more than a dozen singers and band members, playwright-director Randy Johnson creates “a compelling portrait of an artist” (Culturemob) through the words, inspiration and music of one of America’s greatest rock ’n’ roll originals.